A Cruise Ship With a Bohemian Flair

Carnival Conquest is one of those cruise ships which throw the theme right in your face – you wouldn’t miss it as soon as you embark.  It’s virtually a floating color palette, what with rooms and, casinos, and lounges named after Impressionist artists, and the swatch murals which line the atrium.  Don’t mistake the ship for offering a high-brow experience though, the theme is meant for the average cruiser’s sense for visual pleasure rather than for the snotty art connoisseur.

The public rooms are very accessible from any part of the ship, but Deck 5 serves as the public square; the ship’s casino, kid’s and adult discos (Montmartre and Henri’s), and a wine bar (Latour) offers for a more conducive meet-and-greet ambiance.  Aft deck are the themed night clubs: ‘Blues’ with the sing-along piano lounge distinct to the cruise line, a showroom (Degas), and Vincent’s.  Just at the right of the casino is Gauguin’s Bar, designed after the exotic Impressionist style of the artist.  The atrium is much more beautiful at night – the 10 deck-span thoroughfare is canopied with skylight overhead.  The Artist’s Lobby flaunts an intricate mural which pays homage to Impressionist pieces, and accents of Murano glass fixtures provide a whimsical aura.

Toulouse Lautrec, the ship’s show lounge, occupies three decks, and is somewhat always filled with activity during the sea days of the cruise.  The Bohemian theme is very distinct, with lush reds and rich gold prominent on the artist sketches of the urban landscape of Montmartre.  Reminiscent of Moulin Rouge, the lounge impresses the guest of cabarets, circuses, and brothels, and the film’s overhanging windmills flank the show stage.

Cabins are either insides or outsides; outside cabins may sport an extended balcony or ‘wall windows’ (for family staterooms on Spa Deck).  The colors are consistent with the theme – muted and posh.  There is plenty of closet space, and the television offerings are decent enough, but you’ll definitely prefer to enjoy most of the sea days at the Promenade.  Carnival Conquest’s standard accommodations have one drawback, however; the outside noise easily seeps through cabin portals, and you’d have to sleep as far away from doors as you can, especially if it is located anywhere near elevator banks.  Guests who book cabins located beneath the main pool area should also brace themselves for the scraping noises of activity overhead.

Although the dining experience at Carnival Conquest is fuss-free with four dinnertime schedules, and the sheer variety of food choices are impressive, the fare is not that exceptional.  Formal dinners are offered at the Monet and the Renoir, and the service is topnotch.  A lido buffet lunch is available at the Restaurant Cezanne, with plenty of fruit and caffeinated beverage offerings, plus a self-service station for ice cream and yogurt.  Yankee food is offered at grill station, and an Asian station varies its fare throughout the cruise.  Carnival Conquest targets the family or couple who want to cruise both for the port stops and the sea days; the onboard offerings are not too over-the-top, but are otherwise accommodating – there’s more than enough to occupy guests for the meantime.